Samsung’s New Galaxy Alpha Smartphone Is Going Metal

Plastic is so Galaxy S

Samsung is ditching plastic in favor of metal on its new smartphone, abandoning what some critics have called a cheap aesthetic.

The tech company’s new high-end smartphone, the Galaxy Alpha, will go on sale in September. It has a metal frame on the four edges of the phone, Samsung said Wednesday, and will launch in five colors including black, white, gold, silver and blue.

Samsung said in a statement it was taking “a fresh approach” to its hardware design, “based on the specific desires of consumer markets.”

“With an entirely new appearance, the Galaxy Alpha focuses on both beauty and functionality,” JK Shin, the head of Samsung’s mobile division, said.

The phone will have a 4.7-inch HD display and features including a fingerprint scanner and a battery-saving mode. Just don’t call it heavy metal, though: Samsung says it is insistent on going lightweight.